


Heartbeat

by Bread_Stars



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Angel Investigations - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, They're on a case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-08-15 10:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8052259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bread_Stars/pseuds/Bread_Stars
Summary: Angel Investigations have a demon case but when one of the team becomes seriously hurt, consequences follow. Not all of thdm, it seems, are bad.





	Heartbeat

It had been a fairly average week in terms of business. A few clients with vamp issues and the like. One person with a demon problem. Nothing too taxing. Just another day at the office. At the moment they were awaiting a case with Wesley reading something or the other from books, Fred and Gunn sat chatting, Cordy sorting out her messed up filing system, Angel brooding and Lorne on phone duty. 

Suddenly a distressed man stumbled in fear glowing in his eyes. They all automatically went to their feet with Cordelia rushing over to check that he was okay. He had a blood stained shirt and looked a sight. Other than that he looked like he could be a businessman maybe work in an office. He was in his thirties but the stress made it hard to distinguish which end. 

"Oh god, are you okay?" Cordy asked helping him to a seat.

"No, not really. Angel Investigations, right?" He sort of gasped. 

"That's us." Gunn put in.

"Demon problem, at least I think that's what they were. There's a nest of them. I got caught up with them." He gestured to his injury.

"Do you want us to take a look at that?" Cordy asked.

"Please. That or take me to a hospital. Though I don't know if they deal with this stuff." He laughed deliriously.

"Can you remember what the demon looked like?" Wesley cleared his throat and got out a notepad.

"Errr blue with horns on their face. They had these eyes... They were bright orange but they had no pupil." 

"I'll look into it." Wesley went over to his desk and started burying himself in texts trying to find out the type of demon.

The man took a moment then to survey his environment his eyes going around the room, looking at each person.

"Arhh you're a demon." He exclaimed upon noticing Lorne.

"Lorne's good. He won't hurt you or anyone else for that matter. Not all demons attack people. Besides he's the least violent of us all." Angel spoke to the man glancing at Lorne who instinctively look back at him at the compliment. They shared a smile before Angel's gaze went back to their client, even if it was only because of politeness.

"Okay..."

No one bothered to reply to that seeing as they all knew that what Angel said was correct. Instead there was a change of subject.

"Do you want to stay here whilst we research about your demon or go out? We'll let you know what happens either way." Wesley said whilst flicking through a book.

"Well I have to go to work and preferably sleep as well. I'd better go. I'll come back when next have a free slot." He promised.

"'Course. Stay safe out there." Fred bid him goodbye. "Wait, could we get a name? It's just for reference so we know who you are."

"Alex Eagle. My number is 05674 68896. Feel free to call me." He gave them the information. "Thank you again."

And with that he left the hotel and it was back with just them. Wesley and Fred worked on the books for another couple of hours before-

"Eureka!" Wesley yelled. "I've got the demon. It's a Ragrathn. They usually group in packs of five to twelve had have a similar hierarchy to wolves in that there will be an alpha, beta and omega and the like. They like damp dark places and act as a team. They're clever though. They can be killed by cutting of their heads and by burning them."

"I'll get my flamethrower then." Gunn shrugged and went to go collect said item along with a sword.

"You said it was clever. How clever?" Angel asked.

"Very. We'll need all of us to go to make sure that we have a chance even if that's only to mane us look more intimidating. If we're outnumbered it'll be harder." 

"But that's highly likely. There's six of us. Five to twelve in a pack, right?" Fred spoke up.

"Even more why we need everyone." Wes told her.

"Wesley's right. We need all of us there." Angel looked around and everyone nodded in compliance.

"Good. Now let's go find these things." 

\-----

They arrived at the building that they'd been directed to by Alex and parked the car in a nearby alley so they could sneak up easier.

"This it?" Lorne asked as he surveyed the place. 

"Yep." Gun said. "Almost as classy as my old place."

Angel raised his eyebrows and explained to everyone where they would come in. Angel and Lorne would go around the front, Gunn and Fred round the back and Cordy and Wesley in the side door. That way at least one strong fighter would come from all points. Everyone agreed that it was a good plan and split off into their groups.

Lorne looked slightly nervous. He'd never really gone on a big case before. They'd never needed him, not that he'd be much use anyway. It wasn't like he was particularly good at fighting. He'd only learned how to hold a sword in the time since he'd met Angel.

Angel however confidently strode into the building immediately getting everyone in the building's attention. There were twelve of them. Great. They were going to need all the fighters they could get.

"Hey. How're you all doing? You mind showing me to the boss around here." Angel said without a stutter as he looked around the damp dingy room.

The biggest of the lot stepped forward and muttered something in another language; one which Angel couldn't understand. 

"He just said he's the boss and you'd have to go through him if you wanted trouble." Lorne whispered in translation leaning close to Angel. His heart got faster as he did do and he only hoped that Angel would count it as fear and ignore it.

"Thanks." He muttered back before raising his voice one again. "Well you see I don't particularly want trouble." He made a sudden move to shove the lead demon into a wall. "Oh wait, I do." 

And with that the battle commenced all became a blur as the others rushed in. Killing the leader and the higher ranks would be their first priority except they didn't have time to work that out apart from the alpha, of course. 

Angel had taken two out and Wes and Gunn had taken one out each as well with Fred and Cordy working on their own when a sudden roar sounded from what was presumed to be the beta. Everyone turned around and saw one of the demons with a knife to Lorne's throat.   
"Leave at once or your green friend dies." It spoke with a certainty even in its broken English. Lorne gulped as the cool knife was pressed closer onto his neck. Whilst he knew it wouldn't kill him, he suspected the other demon did too.

When none of them moved he got a secondary knife and dragged it across The Host's forearm in a swift movement causing him to cry out.  

"Get out, scum." It said once again. "I will torture green friend until you do." 

Angel paused for a moment to process his next move before pulling the closest demon to him and putting his own knife to it's throat. But as he did so the other demon dragged the knife across Lorne's lower stomach making tears form. He refused to let them fall though.

"I'll let yours go when you let Lorne go." He told him.

The beta took a minute before nodding and shoving Lorne on the hard floor. Angel went to do the same but then sliced off it's head and grabbed Lorne in his arms as he and the other's ran out. 

"Lorne, stay with us. Okay?" Angel told him as he climbed into the back of the car allowing Wesley to take the wheel instead.

"Y-yeah. It hurts." He rasped looking down at his stomach which blood was pooping out of.  
"I know. We're almost home." 

It was true. Wesley had speed home. Whether that was in the account of Lorne being injured or that the angry demons might have followed them was unclear. It really could be either.  
Angel picked Lorne up again and carried him to his bedroom and laid him carefully down. Cordy had gone to fetch the medical kit that they do often used. When she entered the room she went over and started to clean and bandage the demon.

"Hang in there. You'll be okay. I've had much worse than this to treat." She joked trying to make light of the situation.

After she'd done she got up unsure of whether to stay or go. Angel could apparently tell that this was the case.

"Go and check on the others. It's fine. I'll stay with Lorne." He told her and she nodded and left the room.

Angel's hand slipped into Lorne's as he sat beside the bed. He gave it a little squeeze of reassurance. He could've lost him today. Sure, the Ragrathn might not have know how to kill him but he could've done a whole variety of things. Much more harmful things. He was relieved that the demon he cared so deeply for was still alive to tell the tale.

"Uh oh. What's that face for?" Lorne said his voice still raspy.

Angel paused for a moment before he replied, "It's my worried face."

"Hey, I'm alive, aren't I?"

"Thank god for that." He muttered. "I didn't want you to die without knowing... The fact that you might have makes me feel all," he shuddered, "inside."

"Hold your horses, honey, without knowing what?" Lorne, who had beforehand looked tired, now had his eyes wide open awaiting the response.

"That I love you." Angel said hoping he sounded more confident that the felt.

"You do?" Lorne said in shock.

"Yeah." Angel waited a beat before he said, "Well I'll just..." He pointed towards the door and made to stand up but Lorne's grip tightened on his hand.

"I love you too, sweetie. Though I thought you knew that. Heartbeat and all." Lorne told him with a fond yet still tired smile on his face.

"Heartbeat?" Angel said with a confused smile spread in his face.

"You know, someone's heartbeat speeds up when they're near someone they love or care about deeply." Lorne said.

"Huh. I didn't know that. That'd explain a lot of things and not just recently." Angel's face became pensive.

"You seriously didn't know that? Kind of hearts and all, I'd thought you would." Lorne looked honestly doubting. 

"I don't really keep up with science." Angel confessed. "But anyway I thought we were talking about something a bit more important than heartbeats."

"Yes, let's go back to that, sugarplum." 

"So can we be dating now?"

"Honestly, I'd love that."

"Good." Angel smiled slightly.

He leant in and brushed his lips over Lorne's and felt his press back. It was brief because Lorne being seriously injured wasn't really the time for anything more than that. That stuff could wait. They had plenty of time.

They smiled at each other for a moment as they moved apart each lost in each other's eyes. They sat there like that for a while simply enjoying each other's company but Lorne began to yawn reminding them of how late it was. 

"I'll leave you to rest. Call if you need anything. I'll be right here." Angel promised as he rose.  
"Stay with me?" He ashes back hoping that he hadn't overstepped any boundaries do early in this relationship. He smiled at that. Relationship. It had a nice ring to it.

"Of course." 

Angel turned the main light off putting a bedside lamp on and climbed into the opposite side if the bed carefully to avoid straining any of the demon's injuries. He relaxed and let himself simply be beside him. He found that it was comforting. 

Despite all the pain that the evening had caused, he was glad things had panned out the way they did. It had all turned out alright for once. Better than alright, really. Besides they could get the rest of those demons another time.


End file.
